Compression hand truck



July 7, 1959 b. T. McLEOD 2,893,579

COMPRESSION HAND TRUCK Filed Feb. 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIIIIIII IS VIIlIIII/IIIIII III,

INVENTOR DUNCAN 7. McL 500 ATTORNEYS July 7, 1959 D. T. MCLEOD 3,

COMPRESSION HAND TRUCK Filed Feb. 26, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dl/NcA/v Z MCLIZ'ZZNTOR ATTORNEYS United ,States Patent Ofi ce 2,893,579 Patented July 7, 1955 2,893,579 CONIPRESSION TRUCK Duncan T. McLeod, Flint, Mich, assignor to Charles W. White, Flint, Mich.

The present invention relates to compression hand trucks, and more particularly .to hand trucks which grasp the article. tobe moved by means ofcompression on the opposite sides thereof. f

The primary object of the invention isto provide a hand truck having lifting forks movable to grasp the lifted article therebetween to secure the "article to the truck for movement from place to place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compression hand truck of the class described above in which the lifting forks are laterally adjustable to adapt them to articles of different sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hand truck of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to operate, and which permits the handling of boxed articles without the necessity of forcing a lifting tongue between the boxed article and the floor.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention illustrating an article in position to be carried by the truck.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal cross-section taken along the line 3--3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, with the lifting forks illustrated in closed position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation with the lifting forks closed.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 with the lifting forks open.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail cross-section taken along the line 66 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a compression hand truck constructed in accordance with the invention.

The hand truck 10 includes a frame, generally indicated at 11, having a pair of elongated spaced apart parallel tubular uprights 12, 13 connected by a plurality of vertically spaced parallel transverse tubular frame members 14.

The upper end portions of the tubular uprights 12, 13 are rearwardly and outwardly curved at 15, 16, respectively, and fitted with hand grips 17, 18, as seen in Figure 1.

A pair of lifting fork plates 19, are arranged in spaced apart generally parallel relation with the frame 11 positioned therebetween adjacent the rear ends thereof. An upright bar 21 extends parallel to the tubular upright 12 in engagement with the fork plate 19. Upper and.

lower threaded end portions 22, 23 are integrally formed on the bar 21 extending in spaced parallel relation through the fork plate 19 and through the upright 12.

An upright bar 24 extends parallel to the upright 13 in engagement with the fork plate 20 and is provided with upper and lower threaded end portions 25, 26 extending through the fork plate 20 and the upright 13. The threaded end portions 22, 25 are arranged in axially aligned relation and are oppositely threaded. The threaded end portions 23, 26 are axially aligned and are oppositely threaded.

A turnbuckle loop 27 is threaded on the end portions 22, 25 and a turnbuckle loop 28 is threaded on the end portions 23, 26. The turnbuckle loops 27, 28 engage at their opposite ends the uprights 12, 13, thus maintaining mit the fork plates 19, 20 to pivot about the bars 21,24,

respectively, to a limited degree.

The fork plates 19, 20 are provided, respectively, with stub axles 31, 32 extending perpendicularly outwardly from the rear end portion thereof. Reinforcing webs 33 are Welded to the stub axles 31, 32, respectively, and to the fork plates 19, 20 reinforcing the stub axles 31, 32. Wheels 34, 35 are journalled, respectively, on the stub axles 31, 32 to support the truck 10 when moved from place to place.

A U-shaped bracket 36 is fixed to the fork plate 19 at the rear thereof, and a second U-shaped bracket 37 is tfixed to the fork plate 20 at the rear thereof in aligned relation with the bracket 36.

The bracket 36 has a nut 38 swivelly mounted therein by means of cars 39 extending through bores 40. The cars 39 on the swivel nut 38 are somewhat smaller than the bores 40 so that the nut 38 can move about a vertical axis, as indicated in Figures 6 and 7, while pivoting about a horizontal axis, as indicated in Figure 5.

The bracket 37 is provided with a swivel nut 41 mounted in exactly the same manner as the swivel nut 38. A bolt 42 is threaded through the nut 38 and a second oppositely threaded bolt 43 is threaded through the nut 41.

A toggle member 44 is pivoted at 45, 46, respectively, to the bolts 42, 43 and is arranged to be positioned in aligned relation with respect to the bolts 42, 43 or raised to the position illustrated in Figure 5, thus spreading the forward ends of the fork plates 19, 20 for engagement with a box 47.

The threaded extensions 22, 23, 25, 26 are each provided with a cushion bushing 48 engaging between the respective fork plates 19, 20 and uprights 12, 13 to maintain sufficient space therebetween to permit the pivotal action of the fork plates 19, 20.

It should be noted that the wheels 34, 35 are out of engagement with the floor when the fork plates 19, 20 have their lower edges in complete contact with the floor.

In the use and operation of the invention, the tumbuckle loops 27, 28 and the bolts 42, 43 are horizontally adjusted to space the fork plates 19, 20 at a distance slightly less than the width of the box 47 to be lifted. The toggle member 44 is then raised spreading the forward end of the fork plates 19, 20 and the truck is moved to position the forks 19, 20 on opposite sides of a box 47.

In this position, the toggle member 44 is pressed downwardly by hand or foot so that the rear portions of the plates 19, 20 are spread apart and the forward portions thereof are moved together clamping the box 47 therebetween. After the box 47 is clamped between the fork plates 19, 20, the hand truck 10 is tilted rearwardly engaging the wheels 34, 35 lifting the box 47 ofI the Supporting surface and permitting the truck 10 to be moved on the wheels 34, 35 to a desired position.

0n reaching the desired position, the box 47 is released from the forks 19, 20 by raising the toggle member 44 and spreading the fork plates 19, 26.

It should be noted that when the truck is loaded and tilted onto the wheels 34, 35, the weight of the truck and the load therein carried on the wheels 34, 35 tend to',

spread the wheels 34, 35 and thus more tightly clamp the box 47 by means of the fork plates 19, 20.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A compression hand truck comprising an upright framework, hand grips secured to the upper end of said framework, a pair of plates positioned respectively adjacent the opposite side edges of said framework, means securing said plates to said framework for swinging movement about an axis parallel to said framework, means extending between said plates adjacent one end thereof 4 for swinging said plates and for latching said plates in adjusted position, and a pair of ground engaging wheels pivotally mounted on said plates adjacent the means for swinging said plates.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on the means mounting said plates for swinging movement for adjusting said plates laterally with respect to said framework.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means mounting said plates for swinging movement comprises an upright rod pivotally secured to each of said plates, upper and lower threaded end portions extending perpendicularly to said rods through said plates and said framework, turnbuckle loop's connecting respectively said upper threaded end portions. and said lower threaded end portions.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said framework comprises a pair of spaced parallel tubular members integrally secured together by a plurality of spaced parallel transverse members.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for swinging said plates includes laterally adjustable means for swinging said plates in adjusted position.

No references cited. 

